Kar'Taylir Gar Darasuum
by Pamari25
Summary: To Hold You in My Heart Forever. Etain must leave the Jedi Order to save her son from her fate. Darman is off fighting a war. What will happen to them and the rest of Omega Squad? Some Delta and Nulls in story; actually all of them are. On Hold. Reread.
1. Chapter 1

Etain Tur Makan forced herself to look General Arligan Zey in the eye. They were in orbit around Coruscant, Triple Zero in military speak. She was incensed and she also knew that she was in such turmoil that Jedi Master Zey would have had to have sensed her coming from the moment she arrived on the ship if not from sometime before then. They, the Republic, her own _commanding officer_ had taken her son. _Her son._ This was the final straw.

Apparently some _di'kutla jetii_ had decided that Kal Skirata was an unfit caretaker for a child that was already obviously Force-sensitive. They had alerted the Temple and her child was now in the care of the Jedi. The exact opposite of the future she wanted for him. Kad Venku Skirata. A good _Mando_ name, a strong name.

"General Tur Makan," began Zey in the calm tones of one attuned to the Force, "I fail to see why this is any of your concern. I know of you attachment to Kal Skirata and the RC Commandos, but why do you care if this child is taken to the Temple."

"Kal doesn't want the Jedi future for his grandson," she began, attempting to tamp down on her feelings. "He believes that the boy should be raised _Mando. _Without knowing his heritage, he believes that his grandchild will be _dar' manda_. Without a soul."

''The Jedi Temple is an excellent place for a child to grow up," General Zey responded, "Training, shelter, food, and education, the chance to make a difference in the galaxy. I mean look at Jedi Skywalker. He's an excellent example of what Jedi training can do."

"Nevertheless," Etain said firmly, trying to keep her despair and anger from leaching into the Force and failing, "The boy is NOT to go to the Jedi. It is in exact opposition to the parent's wishes." She was straining to control herself as she saw Zey's expression of longsuffering patience.

"The child's parents are still alive and the only authority figure is a man who _claims_ to be his grandfather." Zey said bluntly. "The council sees no reason to return the child unless the parents come forth." He paused and looked at her, brow furrowed with concern, "Etain, are you alright?"

Etain was so angry she was trembling "NO I AM NOT ALRIGHT YOU _DI'KUTLA JETII!_" She exploded out of her seat in a fit of rage, shouting. "I will not have my _ad'ike _raised by a bunch of _hutuun'la, adenn, aruetisse jetisse! _ I will not allow my son to grow up in a place where he will never know of his mother or his _buir_. I don't ever want him to think that he was abandoned by me, that he wasn't loved. His _ba'buir_ is a good man."

General Zey sat back in shock, his mouth hanging slightly open. "Your son?" he asked finally, "The boy is _your_ son?" Etain merely nodded, and took her seat again. "Who is the father? Oh no, a trooper? No… a commando." he said the last with finality and the assurance of the force.

"Kad Venku Skirata is the child of myself and RC Commando Darman Skirata." she said calmly, the storm having passed, "My child, you can have a blood sample if you like to compare DNA, it will confirm its mine, but seeing as there are 1.5 million clone soldiers with the exact same DNA as his father, you're going to have to take my word on that part."

"You can have your son back, but you'll have to leave the Jedi Order when you claim him." was all Zey said.

"I will." Etain paused and then added "But sir, you can't tell anyone who the father is; you know about the assassination squads; any news gets out of a clone 'rebelling' in _this_ particular fashion and Darman would be a dead man. A very dead man. Please general, promise you won't say, a man's life depends on it."

"I will tell no-one." he General Zey stated gravely. "But Etain? Go someplace safe with your son and hunker down and see if you can't get Skirata to make the Omega boys just _disappear_ some day soon."

"I'll be safe and so will my son." she said with a bit of a smile, "and don't worry; _Kal' buir_ already has a plan in place for their _disappearance_." With a salute, Etain turned and left the office of General Arlington Zey for what she hoped would be the last time.

As the door closed Zey slumped down in his seat, supporting his head with his hands. First Jusik Bardan and now Etain. The disillusionment was spreading among the Jedi. Some days even he doubted whether or not he was in the right place. But he chose to stick it out. Maybe someday he would walk away… but not today. The Republic still needed him.


	2. Cuy'val Dar again

Etain was so busy storming out of the base that she didn't notice a rather short and stocky man in a military cut leather jacket walk up behind her, at least not until he put his hand on her arm. Faster than the human, and most other sentient life forms, eye could follow, she had unclipped and ignited her lightsaber and sprang away from the man.

"A little jumpy today, aren't we _ad'ika_?" his calm tone in direct opposition to the momentary fear that had radiated from him just moments ago, "What is Zey making you do to get Kad back?"

"Sorry _Kal' buir._" Etain muttered, then her voice picked up strength, "Zey can't 'request' anything of me anymore, I am officially no longer a part of the Jedi Order. He made an ultimatum, only Kad's parents could retrieve him from the Temple; so I my hand was forced. However, the identity of his father is still a secret." Etain braced herself, waiting for the outburst of frustration and anger that she was sure would come from the little man.

"Well, we knew it would happen someday." Kal said gently, "at least now you can care for your son properly. Maybe we'll go back to Mandalore and get you some armor… you'll have to learn to braid your hair properly though."

Etain was in shock. "That's it?" she asked stupidly, "No anger, no blaming, just calm acceptance? Who stole your personality?"

Kal walked up to her and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "The plan for the disappearance of the new generation of _Cuy'val Dar_ is finally done. In two standard weeks, we won't exist again." He shot her a quick grin and walked away, calling over his shoulder, "Go and get your kid, we have things to do."

Etain had to laugh; it was just such perfect timing. All she had to do was wait it out two more weeks on Mandalore or wherever Kal thought she would be safest and then it would be over. No more war, it was a wonderful thought.

She should have known it could never be quite that easy.

Darman glanced at his brothers; Fi and Niner were talking quietly in a corner. Darman smiled inside his helmet, the fact that Fi was talking at all was nothing short of miraculous, not that he'd ever tell Fi that; if the man ever asked Darman would swear that he was alive only because his head was as hard as his Katarn armor. He glanced off to his side; Atin was fiddling with some piece of machinery, probably trying to make it do something it wasn't meant to. Darman sighed, as their leading demolitions man; he often wondered why it was that Atin spent so much time trying to make things blow up, it was after all, Darman's job.

The boys were all waiting for Kal, he, Ordo, and Mereel had finally done it. They had cracked Ko Sai's data and had bribed enough people in several different cloning and medical facilities to feel secure that they would have several competent doctors and cloners to finally fix them.

Then, Darman would have a proper life. He would be able to live it with Etain… and their son. They would be together, and they would be far away from this Republic and its numerous problems.

It was a beautiful dream, but Darman's pragmatism whispered to him that dreams seldom became reality.


End file.
